Developmental positioning aids are an important adjunct to care of the premature infant. Supporting and positioning the infant is a high priority, but people have mostly used found objects to do the job, such as blankets, pillows, towels. Many positioning aids have been developed but they have been primarily aimed at restraining movement in two-dimensions, helping to keep the baby from twisting or rolling around on the bed, for example. An exception is the use of pillows or other objects to elevate the head. To accommodate wires and tubes, these devices can be deformed or the user can place several devices around the baby with spaces between them. Unfortunately when the infant requires respiratory support this big, cuddly wall of positioning devices gets in the way of the tubing. Also the use of small, spaced devices reduces stability and complicates readjustment. Finally these materials often lose their shape over time, thereby requiring constant monitoring and adjustment.
There are two main problems with these aids. First, they tend to be solid blocks, rolls, etc. that do not naturally accommodate tubing and wires. This makes it more difficult to attach tubing and wires to the baby without potentially injuring him or her by pushing, pulling, lifting or twisting. Second, they are not adapted to hold the baby above the surface of the bed which would provide a space between the baby and the bed through which wires could be extended or to permit placing the baby at a specific, beneficial position in three dimensions and hold him or her there securely.